Internal combustion engine



April 19, 1932. s, w, M N 1,854,238 I INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 20, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet l ENTOR Set/z Ma da mppmz BY yaw.

ATTORNEY April 19, 1932. s. w. THOMPSON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 20, 1930 6 sheets-sheet 2 Wigwam BY (/1 i W AT'IZJRNEY April 1932- s. w. THOMPSON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 20, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN OR Set/z am 150mm BY Midi/L ATTOR EY April 19, 1932. s. w. THOMPSON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 20, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 0' 4. RNEY April 19, 1932.

s. w. THOMPSON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 20, 1930 6 SheetsSheet 5 W lw ATTORNEY April 19, 1932.

s. w. THOMPSON 1,854,238

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 20, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 HIIIIIIWIIHV g 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII M wawwsz WM 9 M ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SETH WALDO THOMPSOTT, OF -MONTCI|AIB,'NEW JERSEY INTERNAL comnnsrron ENGINE Application filed March 20, 1930. Serial 1io.437,436.

My invention relates to internal combustion unit and any desired number of units may be engines in which the cylinders are arranged used and assembled to ether to obtain any about a crank case and it is my object to pro desired horsepower. prefer to use com duce an engine which willhave a comparaparatively small cylinders and to increase tively small overall diameter to decrease head .their number, rather than their size, to obtain resistance and increase visibility when used an engine of greater horsepower. The engine in an airplane, to eliminate the power wastmay be cooled by either air, water or chemical ing master rod ordinarily used, to reduce vimeans. I have, sofar as possible, followed bration and to increase horse power to any standard engineering practice in connection desired extent by adding cylinder units rath-- with radial engines but have eliminated the er than by increasing the size of the cylinmaster rod and embodied the propeller reders. A further object contemplates the use duction gearing as an integral part of the en'- of the engine gearing as a speed reduction gine.

for airplane use whereby the engine may be The principle underlying my invention i run at approximately 3500 revolutions per best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The crank case minute, the point of greater etficiency, while 1 carries the cylinders 2 radially arranged holding the propeller speed down to about thereon.' .The crank shaft 3 is carried in 1500 revolutions per minute without requirthe crankcase and has its throw 4 engaged ing the use of separate reducing gears in with the center of a connecting rod carrier common use, or any other desired proportion member 5 of disk-like form. Two auxiliary between engine speed and take-ofl speed may crank shafts 6 and 7 are mounted in the crank be obtained. case and their throws 8 and 9 engage the con In the drawings I have shown an embodinecting rod carrier. member on either side of ment of my invention, the manifolds, ignithe crank shaft throw 4. The connecting rods tion and the like being omitted, as these may 10 are connected at their ends to the carrier be varied to meet special requirements and member by hinge pins or the like.

form no part of my invention and their use, It is apparent that as the explosions occur application and functions are-matters of comin the cylinders 2 the pistons will move out mon knowledge. and the connecting rods 10 will push against Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, sectionalv view of the connecting rod carrier member 5 in turn one form of my engine embodying two cylincausing it to move with a circular movement der units; Fig. 2 a sectional view of the strucas a Whole and revolve the crank shaft proper. ture of Fig. 1 on the line 2-2 thereof; Fig. The auxiliary crank shafts 6 and 7 will also 3 a sectional view of the structure of Fig. 1 revolve and hold the carrier member 5 to a on the line 3,3 thereof; Fig. 4 a sectional circular path of movement as indicated by View of the structure of Fig. 1 on the line 44 the dot and dash line of Fig. 5. These two thereof; Fig. 5 a diagram showing the cireuauxiliary crank shafts perform the same lar movements of the various parts whereby functions as the master rod ordinarily used 0 vibration is reduced and the master rods as but without its drawbacks which briefly are, used in the majority of radial engines is elimiabsorption of power and the setting up of nated; Fig. 6 a sectional view of a modified vibration due to the constantly changing anform of my invention in which the underlygle and distance travelled. As is clearly aping principle is more clearly shown; Fig. 7 parent from Fig. 5 all moving parts of my an end View of the structure of Fig. 6; and engine travel in circles so that vibration is Fig. 8 a diagrammatic View of a modified reduced to a minimum, the pistons and conform of mechanism for coupling successive necting rods being the only exceptions to cylinder units. this circular movement, although the outer While the drawings show an engine emends of the connecting rods move in circles.

50 bodying two cylinder units of nine cylinders each any desired number of cylinders. per Figs. 1, 2,3 and 4 the foundation is a crank In the commercial form of engine shown in case 10. Crank shafts 11 and 12 are mounted in the crank case interior and carry a connecting rod carrier member 13 on their throws. The cylinders 14, with their pistons 15 and connecting rods 16 are mounted on the outside of the crank case and the outer ends of the connecting rods are jointed to the carrier member 13. The crank shafts 11 and 12 each carry a drive gear 17 and 18 which mesh with a revolvable gear 19. The forward, central extension of the gear 19 is the point of power take off and in airplane practice may have the propeller p mounted directly thereon. The gears 17,18 and 19 can be so pro portioned that any desired ratio of engine speed to power take off speed is obtained without the introduction of further gearing.

In the form shown the valve drive comprises gears 21 and 22 mounted on the shafts of the cranks 11 and 12. These gears mesh with the gears 23 and 24 which are mounted on the crank case. Each gear 23 and 24 carries a pinion 25 and 26 which revolves with it. These pinions 25 and 26 mesh .with an internal gear 27 on a cam ring 28 which revolves in the crank case. The valve operating cams 29 are arranged omthe outer face of the cam ring and operate the push rods 30 which open and close the valves. The gearing is such that the cam ring makes one revolution to eight revolutions of the connecting rod carrier member. Any other system of valves and valve operation may be substituted for that shown and described without departing from my invention.

In a two row engine, such as illustrated, the crank shafts have two throws each as shown in Fig. 1 and the connecting rod carrier member is duplicated on the second throw .to receive the connecting rods of the cylinders on the second unit. The reference numbers of corresponding parts being primed in Fig. 1. It is clear that as many units. or rows of cylinders, as desired may be added, thus increasing the horse power of the engine without increasing the" size of the cylinders, thus keeping the overall diameter of the enthe peripheral speed is low so that they will efliciently carry the load imposed on them.

- In Fig. 8 I have shown how successive cylinder blocks or units may be coupled by the use of stub auxiliary crank 33, a pair to each connecting rod carrier member 34, the carrier members 34 being connected by a double throw crank shaft 35.

By the term internal combustion engine in the claim I include the customary crank case, cylinders, positions, connecting rods, valves, valve operating mechanism,

manifolds, ignition. devices and the like necrod yoke to which the ends of the connecting rods are attached, said yoke being mounted on the throws of the crank shafts, a gear on each of said crank shafts, an internal gear meshing with both of said crank shaft gears, and a power take-ofi shaft centrally mounted on said internal gear.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

SETH WALDO THOMPSON.

gine at a minimum to reduce head resistance and increase visibility from a pilots seat.

Each increase in the number of cylinder units requires the addition of a crank throw to each crank shaft. I

The projecting ends 31 and 32 of the crank shafts may be used to drive the accessories, such as super-chargers, magnetos, water pumps or distributor heads.

If desired the valve drive may be divided and located outside the cylinder lines instead of between them as shown, in which case each unit will be integral with its'own valve gearing instead of being arranged to operate on pairs of units.

By my construction the gears may be made with wide faces and due to their small size 

